Guinea junta chief officially enters race for president

CONAKRY - Guinea's junta leader General Mamady Doumbouya officially entered the country's presidential race Monday, submitting his candidacy to the Supreme Court ahead of 28 December elections that are meant to restore constitutional order following a 2021 coup.

Doumbouya has ruled the west African nation with an iron fist since first coming to power. Despite his initial promise to return the government to civilian rule, he had been largely expected to run for president.

Arriving and leaving the Supreme Court via armoured vehicle and surrounded by special forces, Doumbouya gave no statement.

Thousands of supporters from across the country, who had travelled to the capital by bus, gathered outside the court in advance of his official submission.

Impoverished Guinea has long been blighted by coups and violence from authoritarian regimes.

However, it experienced a period of democratic transition following the November 2010 election of longtime opposition mainstay Alpha Conde, the country's first freely elected president.

The period ended when Doumbouya seized power in September 2021 and overthrew Conde.

Guineans and the international community have been calling for the vote, which is meant to return the country of 14.5 million to constitutional order following its four years of military rule.

At the end of September, Guineans approved a new constitution that both paved the way for the elections and also permitted Doumbouya to run for president.

Guinea's opposition had called on voters to stay home, denouncing the referendum as a "charade" for the junta to keep its hold on power.

However, Guineans flooded to the polls and resoundingly chose to implement the constitution, with 89 percent supporting the charter, according to official results.

Since coming to power, Doumbouya, who is in his 40s, has significantly restricted freedoms.

The junta has banned demonstrations and has arrested, prosecuted or pushed into exile several opposition leaders, some of whom were victims of forced disappearances.

Several media outlets have also been suspended and journalists arrested.

A number of other candidates also officially submitted their applications Monday, including the president of the National Alliance Front (FAN) party Makale Camara, who is a former minister of foreign affairs.

Camara called criticism that she and other candidates were being allowed to run only to give the election a patina of authenticity a "narrow-minded view".